Biosphere hosts international conference

Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere played host to an international conference on social enterprise and Biosphere Reserves. Facilitated by Assist Social Capital CIC (ASC) delegates from Biosphere Reserves across the world where brought together. The meeting was aimed at supporting a new vision for Biosphere Reserves for inclusive Sustainable Development for the upcoming 4^th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves in Lima, Peru, 14^th – 17^th March 2016.

The conference co-hosted by Colin Campbell (ASC, Scotland) and Johanna MacTaggart (Swedish National Biosphere Reserves Coordinator) brought together representatives from Scotland, England, Wales, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Vietnam and South Korea. The conference aim was to create a collective response to introducing social enterprises in biosphere reserves to support sustainable economic and social development. As part of the 3 day event ACE in Girvan and Catstrand in New Galloway where visited by the delegates and the challenges and aspirations of being a social enterprise was shared with interest. This event was part of an ongoing international initiative demonstrating Scotland’s ambition as a global leader in social enterprise supported by The Scottish Government.